Teacher lauded for helping students flee as son shoots him with arrow

After firing the arrow, Christopher Krumm stabbed to death his father, a computer science teacher, before killing himself.

A British-born teacher has been hailed a hero after he gave his students time to flee when his son barged into his classroom at an American college and shot him in the head with a high-powered bow and arrow.

The arrow severely wounded James Krumm, 56, but he managed to wrestle with his son, Christopher, 25, while the handful of students in the classroom at Casper College, in Wyoming, escaped. Christopher Krumm had just stabbed to death his father's partner, Heidi Arnold, 42, at the couple's home two miles away before he arrived at the classroom on Friday morning.

After firing the arrow, Christopher Krumm stabbed to death his father, a computer science teacher, before killing himself. "I can tell you the courage that was demonstrated by Krumm was absolutely without equal," said Chris Walsh, a Casper police chief, adding that the teacher's actions could offer some measure of comfort to those affected by the killings.

Authorities believe around six students were in the classroom when Christopher Krumm entered. No students were hurt. Walsh said police still were trying to establish what motivated him to attack his father and Arnold, a mathematics teacher who also worked at the college.

Christopher Krumm travelled 2,000 miles from his home in Connecticut and arrived in Casper on Thursday. He was staying in a motel and it is unclear if his father knew he was in the area. He smuggled the powerful compound bow, a type used for hunting, on to campus beneath a blanket, Walsh said.

He also had two knives with him, and the blade used was "very large", police added. The body of Arnold was found in the gutter of her street, and evidence suggested that much of the attack occurred outside the home, the police said.

James Krumm was born "north of London" and grew up in Germany before moving to the US, according to the college website. He was hailed as a "real kind and gentle-mannered guy" who was well-respected by his students.

Kevin McDermott, a Casper College teacher, said Arnold and James Krumm were well-liked on campus. "I knew these people pretty well, so it's hurting me. It's breaking my heart," said McDermott, who teaches algebra and computer networking. "They were really good, kind-hearted people. People like Jim and Heidi are what make Casper College such a great college."

He added: "Computer science majors took most of their classes from Jim. He was their adviser, and he had a big impact on them." McDermott added that Arnold was a great teacher who "taught the tough stuff" and maintained a sunny disposition — "a person who always had a smile on her face".